1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lever type connector used to reduce the force required for a male-female connection between mating connecters accommodating wire harnesses therein and, more particularly, to a lever type connector comprising a lever unit whose size is variable according to the size of the mating connector housings.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a connector having mating plug and receptacle units, a lever is commonly used to reduce the connecting force required to fit the mating units together. One example of such a connector is shown in FIG. 6.
This connector includes a mating plug unit 200 for accommodating a plurality of first electrical wires with male terminals (not shown) therein and a receptacle unit 100 for accommodating a plurality of second electrical wires with female terminals (not shown) therein. The first and second electrical wires are electrically connected by engaging the male and female terminals of wires when the plug unit 200 is inserted into the receptacle unit 100.
The plug unit 200 has a plurality of first terminal chambers 203 extending between opposite sides of a generally rectangular shaped housing 201. Each of first wires is held in each of first terminal chambers 203, such that the female terminal locates on the one side. The plug unit 200 further has a pair of guide pins 204 separately formed on outer opposite side surfaces aligned in a line perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of first terminal chambers 203. A flange portion 205 is provided on the opposite side to the side on which the female terminal is held.
The receptacle unit 100 has a receptacle housing 101 for receiving the plug unit 200 and accommodating the second wires therein. The receptacle unit 100 further has a lever unit 104 for reducing the force to press the plug unit 200 into a receptacle opening 113 of the receptacle housing 101. The lever unit 104 is installed on the receptacle housing 101 by a fixture unit 105 such that pivot pins 104a on the lever unit 104 are captured by slots 105a of the fixture unit, as shown in FIG. 6. Thus, the lever unit 104 can pivot with respect to a line X. The housing 101 further has a plurality of second terminal chambers 115 extending therein, in a direction approximately parallel to the line X, and being opened to the opening 113. Each of second wires is held in each of second terminal chambers 115, such that the male terminal overhangs from the side facing the opening 113 by a predetermined length for the engagement with the female terminal. A pair of notches 117 are separately formed in the opening 113 side edges of the housing 101 for receiving the guide pins 204 of the plug unit 200.
The lever unit 104 is formed in a generally U-shaped configuration. On outer surface of the opposite side members of the lever unit 104, the pair of pivot pins 104a are separately formed in a position in alignment with the axis X. In each inner surface of side portions of the lever unit 104, a pair of guide grooves 104b are separately engraved from the edge portion by a predetermined depth. A pair of elongated guide channels 104c are also formed integrally with the guide grooves 104b in a curved line shape. A locking tab 104d is provided at the middle of the lever unit 104.
When the plug unit 200 is inserted into the opening 113, each of pivot pins 204 is guided into the notch 117 by the guide groove 104b and guide channels 104c. As the lever unit 104 rotates down in a direction of the arrow A from the position shown in FIG. 6, the guide pins 204 captured in the notches 117 are further pressed by the guide channels 104c. A further rotation of the lever unit 104 causes the guide pins 204 to travel along the slots 105a in the direction B. Thus, when the lever unit 104 is completely rotated, the female and male terminals of wires accommodated in the connector 100 and 200, respectively, are firmly engaged and an electrical connection is made therebetween. At the same time, the locking tab 104d and the flange portion 205 are also engaged to lock the lever unit 104 at the position to prevent the connected wires from accidentally disconnecting.
With this connector design, the required number of terminal chambers will vary according to the number of terminals to be connected in the connectors, and the width W of the receptacle housing 101 will vary accordingly. The width W of the housing 101 will also vary when the size of the terminals varies.
The lever unit 104 on the receptacle unit 100 must therefore be molded according to the width of the connector housing. This means a different lever unit must be manufactured when the housing width changes because of a difference in the number or size of terminals. Manufacturers have therefore produced a specific lever unit for each different width of connector housing, and this duplication of parts necessarily increases unit costs.